Fast
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 6 in my series of post "Justice League" (2017) stories. Clark Kent visits Barry Allen in Central City as he continues to try to get to know his new teammates. Barry is looking for friends and Clark is more than happy to be one.


Fast

Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

Barry Allen glanced across the room to the end of his makeshift hideout. He looked back to see if he had any more room to get closer to the wall. He stepped back one more step until his heel was pressing against the bricks. He took a deep breath and looked over at the computer monitors next to him. When he saw everything seemed to be ready he took off as fast as he could around the room.

After a few seconds, Barry came to a stop in the middle of the room and glanced around. He smiled at the new tidy appearance of his place and then walked over to the computer monitor. He removed a device attached to his wrist and waited for the readings to come up on the screen. As he waited he heard a knock on the door behind him.

Barry furrowed his brow and got up to slowly make his way over to the door. He wasn't expecting anyone, and not many people even knew about his secret hideout. Barry walked over to the door and waited for yet another knock. It came just as Barry had placed his ear up to the metal door. It startled him and he jumped back a little.

"Barry, it's me, Clark." a voice from the other side of the door prompted Barry to grin and hurriedly move to unlock the door. He slid it open to see Clark Kent standing on the other side of it looking around the alleyway.

"Clark... what... hey.. come in!" Barry said, pleasantly surprised at the visit.

"Hi, Barry." Clark returned the greeting and stepped through the doorway. He glanced around the space and took note of the many monitors Barry had going. It reminded him of the Batcave, albeit a little less sophisticated.

"Here.. have a seat," Barry said as he gestured to a chair in the corner of the room.

"Thanks," Clark said as he accepted the offer and sat down. Barry pulled an office chair out from under a desk and moved it out to the center of the room. He spun it around and sat down in it.

"So.. what brings you to Central City?" Barry asked with a grin.

"You," Clark replied.

"Me?" Barry questioned.

"Yes," Clark answered.

"What... um... did I do something wrong or?" Barry asked the confusion evident on his face. He was relieved when Clark let out a small chuckle.

"No, Barry... I just wanted to come to talk." Clark replied. Barry's posture eased in the chair and he glanced around the room.

"Well... what do you want to talk about?" Barry inquired.

"Well for starters..." Clark began as he looked over at the monitor that Barry had been looking at before he had answered the door. He glanced back at Barry. "How fast are you exactly?"

"I'm um... not exactly sure..." Barry replied as he too glanced at the monitor to see the numbers on it. The device he was wearing was made to calculate his speed. So far though the device had not been able to give him an accurate reading. "I keep trying to measure it... but so far... no luck."

"Maybe you should ask Bruce, I'd bet he could come up with something to get you an accurate reading," Clark suggested.

"Maybe..." Barry agreed. "Do you know how fast you are?"

"No... I uh, never tracked it, wouldn't know how." Clark answered. "You are faster than I am."

"So... you didn't let me win?" Barry asked, barely able to contain his grin.

"No, Barry," Clark replied leaning forward in his chair. "You won fair and square."

"Wow... um... wow... I kind of thought maybe you had let me win," Barry replied. "I mean, how could I be faster than you?"

"I don't know, but you are," Clark responded with a smile. "And the powers came from lightning?"

"Um... yes that was the catalyst... but there was a little more to it than that," Barry said with a shrug before standing up in his chair and walking over to stand in front of his suit. Clark followed him and walked to stand beside him.

"You made this?" Clark asked.

"Yeah... a lot of trial and error," Barry answered.

"I can imagine, with your speed," Clark said as he reached up to run his hand along the material of the suit.

"Yeah... I burned up quite a few of them." Barry confessed with a chuckle. He turned to Clark. "What about your suit, that's not from around here right?"

"No... it's made from material from Krypton." Clark answered.

"Your home." Barry reacted.

"Yes, once," Clark said before once again looking around the space. "Is this where you live?"

"More or less," Barry replied. "Well... more more than less."

"Does anyone other than the team know about your powers?" Clark asked.

"No... no one else." Barry replied as he walked over and leaned up against a nearby computer desk. "What about you?"

"Just... my mom... and Lois," Clark answered.

"Oh," Barry responded. Clark sensed a hint of hurt in his tone.

"You okay?" Clark asked.

"Me... yeeaah... it's just um, that must be nice I'd think." Barry responded.

"What?" Clark questioned further.

"Well, your mom sharing your secret and then having a... um... Lois to share that with." Barry said.

"I'm sorry," Clark replied. "Your parents are they?"

"My mom is..." Barry answered.

"Ah... my dad..." Clark stated. Barry eyed Clark for a moment before offering him a comforting smile. "No significant other?"

"Well... there's... I mean... it's... no." Barry searched for his words. Clark nodded and shrugged.

"I'm sure someday someone will come along," Clark said as he sat back down in the chair offered him at the beginning of the visit.

"So... did you fly here?" Barry asked with a gesture imitating flight with his hand.

"I did," Clark answered with a smile at Barry's gesture.

"That's um... I still don't understand that... how you do that..." Barry stated as he sat down in his chair and turned to him.

"I don't really know either," Clark replied. "I just do it."

"Must be something to do with your gravity field... you are manipulating it somehow." Barry considered.

"Let's go with that," Clark said with a slight chuckle.

"Sorry... I tend to maybe overanalyze things sometimes." Barry said.

"Hey... I think that can be a good thing, especially in your new line of work." Clark said referring to Barry's job position within the CCPD.

"Here's hoping," Barry said. He sat up in his chair and pointed over to a small refrigerator in the corner of the room. "Where are my manners, did you want a drink... do you drink, can you drink...?"

"I'm fine, Barry, but thanks," Clark said with a dismissive wave. Barry nodded and sat back in his seat. "I can drink, I do drink."

"Do you have to... eat and drink?" Barry asked. "I'm sorry, is that weird to ask... I don't know?"

"It's not weird, I am just not usually asked that..." Clark responded. "I don't have to, no."

"Oh... wow... cause I'm kind of the opposite," Barry informed him. "I have to eat like... all of the time, my metabolism..."

"It's in overdrive." Clark finished for him.

"To say the least." Barry agreed as if on cue he reached over into a box of donuts on the desk and retrieved one. With a few bites, the donut was all but inhaled. "Can I confess something?"

"Sure," Clark said.

"At the monument... the fight..." Barry began. "When you looked at me, I've never been more scared in my life."

"I'm sorry," Clark said.

"No... it's I mean... that's, well you weren't yourself." Barry dismissed the apology. "I just, I had never seen someone who could see me when I... move."

"Honestly, when I first swung at you I was a little shocked that I didn't land," Clark confessed.

"Thank God you didn't," Barry said with a nervous chuckle.

"Agreed," Clark said with a sympathetic look.

"Now it's kind of nice..." Barry stated.

"What is?" Clark questioned.

"That... you know... I have someone who can understand what it's like." Barry answered. Clark nodded.

"Same," Clark replied. "I'd like very much for us to become friends Barry."

"Really?" Barry asked. Clark shook his head and laughed before standing up.

"Yes, Barry," Clark said as he walked over to the suit once more. He turned back to Barry. "You hungry?"

"Always," Barry said.

"How about lunch?" Clark asked. "My treat."

"Sure," Barry said with a broad smile as he stood up.


End file.
